Sober & Vigilant (RE: Memory Scripture 16)

There is so much knowledge to obtain from 1 Peter 5:8. I, too, have read this text many times, but the Scriptures' comparison of satan to a "roaring lion" did not raise any immediate red flags within my spirit. Oh, but they should have gone up and all types of sirens should have blared within! Think about it, if a lion's roar can be heard from 5+ miles away, we should hear and sense him (satan) coming before he's on the scene of our life. Now grant it, he may be able to move and operate swiftly, but if we're sober, vigilant, and prepared, we will not be surprised or alarmed at his attempt to attack.

What does it mean to be sober? According to Strong's Concordance, the Greek transliteration for "sober" (see #3525) is nēphō, which translates "to be calm and collected in spirit, to be temperate (mild or restrained in behavior or attitude), dispassionate (not influenced by emotion or personal feelings), and circumspect (to consider all possible circumstances and consequences before acting)."

What does it mean to be vigilant? Let's take a look at the Strong's Concordance once again. Per Strong's, the Greek transliteration for "vigilant" (see #1127) is grēgoreō, which translates "to watch, give strict attention to, be cautious, active," and here's the kicker - "to take heed lest through remission and indolence some destructive calamity suddenly overtake one."

Whoa! Wait a minute, let me go back and reread those definitions. That last one is serious!

When we are not on guard, not on our post, and unprepared, the enemy is able to bring sudden destructive calamity upon our lives. So, how do we prepare and strengthen ourselves to be ready for attack, whether it is within our homes, our families, our jobs, or our minds? Remember our Memory Scripture #7, 2 Corinthians 10:4-5? We have mighty weapons and God-tools just for this very thing. God's Word! The Bible states that God's Word is sharper than any two-edged sword. His Word has power; therefore when we know and speak it, we are empowered. Ah, but the key is to know it. We are admonished to hide the Word in our hearts not only that we not sin against God, but that knowledge and wisdom can be brought forth by the Holy Spirit at the right time.

So, in this season, we need to be faithful in our time spent in the Word and our time with God in prayer. Strengthening these two commitments to God will keep our minds sober and our spirits vigilant so our eyes (both natural and spiritual) will be open to the "roaring lion" and his pride that seeks to attack when our visibility (and discernment) is weak.

Be steadfast in faith, my sisters, and cling to our Father's Word!

~Kristina~

Memory Scripture 16

1Peter 5:8
Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil walks about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour.

Before you read any further, reread the scripture and see if anything pops out at you.

Read it once more. Don't cheat, go ahead, read it.

I've read and quoted this scripture many times but for whatever reason the description "roaring lion" did not stick out to me. So wait, how are we often caught off guard? How is the devil allowed to gain as much ground as he does at times, in our homes, in our families, in our schools, in our minds, on our jobs, anywhere. He walks about like a roaring lion, not like a slithering snake, or a coy coyote, nor a sly fox, but a roaring lion. When I shared this with Theresa, she did some research and found out that a lion's roar can be heard from 5+ miles away and is used to (a) establish territory and/or (b) gather lost pride members (b is 'a whole nother' message).

As the scripture starts out saying, we must be sober and vigilant. I'll leave it up to you study what sober and vigilant means in this text. There's a link on this blog for a very good bible study tool, crosswalk. When someone gets the definition, please share;-)

Memory Scripture 15

Mark 11:22
So Jesus answered and said to them, "Have faith in God. "